>Have just been in the garage taking my front hubs apart to replace the
>wheel bearings. I am a bit stuck trying to get the bearing track out.
>Haynes says to remove it with a brass drift. What is a brass drift and
>in the abscence of one what can I use instead?
A drift is simply a rod made of relatively soft metal that one uses
to put between the hammer and the object you wish to hammer on. It
prevents (or at least reduces the possibility of) damage to the
object you're pounding on, as the brass (or whatever) will deform
slightly to absorb the sharpest bit of the impacts. They're
especially important to use in cases where you want to re-use
whatever you'd hammering on.
A drift also has the advantage of being able to reach into places you
can't hammer, like a wheel hub!
In the absence of a brass drift, try a cheap socket extension bar -
that's what I generally use, with good results. Beware the
chrome-plated ones, as they tend to be brittle and the chrome can
also flake off and make a mess.
As always, be sure to wear eye protection! Safety glasses are the
most important thing in your tool chest.
>
>On removing the hub from the stub axle I noticed that the oil seal did
>not have any felt on it, how could this have happened? What are the
>implications of not having had the felt on the oil seal for however many
>thousand miles? If there was felt present it would have been facing the
>stub axle which I believe is the right way round.
Could simply have worn away over time. The effects of not having the
felt in there are worse oil sealing capability, which could lead to
grease on your brakes, on the ground, and/or dirt in the wheel
bearings - which would lead to accelerated wheel bearing wear. If
you stub axles aren't terribly worn, don't sweat it.
>
>And finally what is the best way to clean up all the old grease inside
>the hub and hoe much grease should I re-fill it with?
I like the blue "shop" paper towels you buy at Advance Auto or
O'Reilly's or wherever to get the old grease out ... normal paper
towels would probably be fine, too, though they tend to leave more
lint behind. I'd also suggest cleaning the whole hub with "simple
green" and water, then wirebrushing it and painting the outside. The
simple green will help a lot in degreasing. There's a nice cheap
alternative called "Jungle Jake" that I used on my TR3 frame and rear
axle - worked wonders, albeit with a lot of elbow grease!
As for how much grease to put in - consult with a local LBC nut or
mechanic to have them show you how to pack a wheel bearing. In this
case, description is a poor substitute for demonstration. Basically,
though, you can buy a "wheel bearing packer" at a tool store - it
looks like two funnels with a grease fitting on the bottom - and it
will probably do an OK job of packing them if you also have a grease
gun. Or, you can take a plastic (ziploc works well) bag with a bunch
of grease in it, put the bearing in, seal it, and squeeze grease into
the bearings before sliding it onto the stub axle. The plastic bag
works nicely because, with a little care, you can keep the bearing in
the bag the whole time - and not drop it to pick up dirt off the
floor/ground, and also not get your hands covered with nice fresh
grease.
I've read to pack the hub about half full - anyone else care to comment?
HTH!
Dan
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dan Buettner - Des Moines, Iowa - mailto:danb@thelittlemacshop.com
1957 TR3, TS15098L 'O' - awaiting owner's time and money.
1977 Spitfire, FM64159U 'O' - in storage.
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